Unhidden Desire
by Danielle Salvatore
Summary: AU *All Human* Bonnie McCullough has secretly longed for Damon Salvatore for a year now, and it turns out, Damon has also always longed for her. But when Damon goes away to war and returns home as a damaged man, can he and Bonnie still get their happy ending? (Will be a 2-shot) Late Christmas present for Sara.


Unhidden Desire

**A/N: Hey everyone! Long time no see. *Ducks* I'm so sorry that it's been so long since I've written anything, but i'm trying to get back into the groove of writing. Anyway, this will be a two-parter, and was written as a gift for my lovely friend and Bonnie role player Sara (AKA xXPrincess-of-DarknessxXx). I hope everyone enjoys it. Especially you Sara :)**

**This story was inspired by the novel _Making Faces _by Amy Harmon, which is a FANTASTIC book by the way. I highly reccomend it. Everyone is human here, and instead of Damon and Stefan being a years apart in age difference, Stefan is only a few months younger in this story. (You will see why this is important later)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own TVD, or the song "A Moment like This"**

* * *

"You're staring at him again," Meredith said casually as she lightly tapped the pencil she was holding next Bonnie's head. Bonnie, in response, quickly snapped out of her daze, forcing herself to look away from the raven-haired, dark-eyed senior that was sitting across the cafeteria from them.

It was the third time this week she had been caught staring at him. Sighing and flushing mildly in embarrassment, Bonnie turned towards her friend, whom was still in the middle of completing her math homework.

"Sorry," she murmured, resisting the urge to bury her face in her arms out of mortification.

Meredith flashed an amused smile in her direction, completely at ease. "Don't apologize. I only thought I should say something in case you didn't know you were doing it."

Bonnie nodded, remembering very well what had happened last week when she was staring over at the table. She had ended up being caught…by the object of her affections himself. He hadn't been mean or condescending, and had only flashed her one of his famous 500 kilowatt smiles, but the thought that he had caught her had still mortified her. She hadn't looked in the direction of his table again for the rest of the week.

Damon Salvatore. He was a senior and a very gorgeous one at that. Bonnie was positive that more than half of the girls wanted him for his looks alone, but to her, that wasn't the only thing that intrigued her about him.

It had all started on that faithful day when she was a freshman and new to the school at that. She had just moved to Fells Church, Virginia from San Diego, California, and along with that came a new school. Robert E. Lee High. Her first day had started off bad enough. She was such a shy person by nature and it made it a bit difficult for her to make friends. But the day had gotten even worse when the junior quarterback, Tyler Smallwood as she now knew him, decided to poke some fun at the new, quiet girl.

He had stolen her jacket and waved it up and down above her, just barely out of her reach. It has been a silly, elementary-school-like form of bullying, but it had made her frantic nonetheless. She knew now that he had only done it to get a rise out of her.

* * *

**Flashback: Freshman Year**

_Bonnie was near tears as she struggled to wrench her jacket out of the beefy hands of the hulking Junior football player, but her small height was no match to the skyscraper height of him._

"_Please…just give it back," she pleaded, trying to fight back the tears that burned deep in her brown eyes. Deep down, she knew that it was ridiculous to cry over something so petty, but she couldn't help it. She hated feeling embarrassed. _

_And now, sure enough, a crowd of their fellow peers had circled around them in the hallway._

_None of them were reaching out to help in the slightest. No, some of them were even laughing, seeming to be entertained by the sight of the star football player's attempt to get a rise out of the new girl. _

_Bonnie was just about to give up, to maybe save herself from even further humiliation, when a smooth, calculating voice came from the crowd._

"_I would have thought that even a mutt like you would know the proper way to treat a lady, Smallwood."_

_The hallway instantly became silent and every one of the onlookers turned their attention away from Bonnie and Tyler and towards the person who had spoken. Even Tyler, though she still kept a firm grip on Bonnie's jacket, turned his attention towards the speaker, as did Bonnie herself. _

_And there stood Damon Salvatore, his arms crossed over his chest and his black eyes steely._

_Tyler, in response, glowered back at him, not budging from his position or showing any sign of backing away._

"_Stay out of this, Salvatore."_

_Bonnie had only seen Damon casually around school, but she had also heard the rumors about him. Apparently he was the Casanova of the school, having a new girlfriend in what seemed like every two weeks. He was also known to get in trouble a lot for mouthing off to teachers during class, and causing trouble at the football games. _

_But this was the first time she had seen him this close up in person._

_Damon merely smirked, completely unaffected about Tyler's threatening stance, despite the fact that the hulking football player was a bit larger than him. "I could never leave a lovely damsel in distress in need," he replied simply, flashing Bonnie a quick wink that caused her to instantly blush before returning his attention back to Tyler._

"_Now give her back the jacket."_

_Tyler made no move to return the jacket and continued to merely stand there, his stance unwavering._

"_And if I don't?"_

_Damon continued to smile. "Then I'll have to act on more…drastic measures to make you do what I want, I suppose."_

_And then to Bonnie's utter surprise, Damon suddenly stepped directly in front of Tyler, his aura radiating nothing but complete confidence and fearlessness. Tyler opened his mouth to no doubt bark back a retort, but before a single sound could escape his lips, Damon's fist slammed hard into his jaw, causing him to fall back a fraction._

_The sound of bone snapping was obvious and Bonnie knew that Damon had at least sprained Tyler's jaw._

_The crowd fell silent, even more silent than before, the shock evident. _

_Tyler himself had a look of utter shock on his face mixed in with pain and anger. "You…."_

_Holding his wounded jaw with one hand he launched himself at Damon, using his free hand to take a hard swing at him. But despite Tyler's massive size, he was clearly uncoordinated, and Damon swiftly and easily moved out of the way of the incoming fist, even tripping Tyler in the process._

_Before the conflict could go any further, however, Mrs. Flowers's voice came ringing out through the crowd, stilling everyone._

"_What us going on here?"_

_Before anyone could say anything in reply, Bonnie forced herself to speak up, addressing the elderly history teacher. "Tyler stole my jacket, Mrs. Flowers. Damon told him to give it back to me and he wouldn't, so um…"_

"_I gave him what he deserved," Damon said, cutting her off. _

_Bonnie bit her lip at the cut and dry response. It definitely didn't sound good, and she didn't want Damon to get in trouble for defending her._

_But Damon didn't seem nervous about the situation at all. In fact, with his smirk, it looked as though he was fully anticipating getting in trouble and was even embracing the idea._

_Mrs. Flowers continued to look blankly at the scene before her for a few more moments, before letting out a sigh. "Well, Mr. Salvatore, it was good of you to defend Miss McCullough, but I am afraid that violence is violence and there will be consequences for your actions." She then walked over to gently grab onto Tyler's arm. "Come on, Mr. Smallwood."_

_As Mrs. Flowers led Tyler out of the hallway, she looked at Damon as they passed him. "My office, after school, Mr. Salvatore."_

_Damon nodded well naturedly. "Looking forward to it, Mrs. Flowers." _

_After Mrs. Flowers had managed to lead a fuming Tyler away, the crowd disappeared as well, and before she could even process what to do next, Bonnie suddenly realized that she and Damon were now alone in the hallway._

_She blushed as he handed her the jacket that had been stolen from her, which Tyler, in his rage, had dropped onto the floor._

"_Thank you for defending me. I…I'm sorry that you got in trouble." She looked down at the ground in a mixture of shame and nervousness._

_She was surprised when she suddenly felt his hand under her chin and the feeling of him gently lifting her chin back up to make her look at him._

"_Do no fret that, bello. It won't be the first time I've gotten into trouble, and it certainly won't be the last." He smirked. "And you're very much welcome. If that brute ever gives you any grief again, my actions will be repeated."_

_She smiled at him once again and nodded. "Okay. And…thanks once again."_

_He nodded politely at her before turning away, leaving her beaming at his disappearing form._

* * *

**End of flashback**

That had been the day that had started her longing for Damon Salvatore.

The other students' opinion of him varied. While some of the girls flailed towards him for his good looks, others found him cold and arrogant. But Bonnie swore that there was something special about him. She had seen something in him that day he had defended her against Tyler Smallwood. He could have easily passed on by or not have done anything like the rest of the students that had been watching, but he hadn't. He had been the only person to stand up for her that day.

Since then, Bonnie had watched him from afar the next few years. She supposed people could say that she had a crush on him, but she couldn't help but think that it was something a bit deeper than just a silly crush.

But she had never worked up the courage to talk to him. She was only a sophomore this year, while he was a senior, after all.

"Do you think he saw this time?" Bonnie asked Meredith tentatively.

"No," Meredith reassured her in a leveled voice. "I don't even think he looked in our direction this time."

At her words, Bonnie let out a sigh of relief.

She had met Meredith near the end of her freshman year of high school. The girl was a year older than her, with Bonnie currently being a sophomore and Meredith a junior, but that hadn't stopped them from bonding. With Bonnie being the new girl and shy and Meredith's loner-like persona, the two eventually began to sit with each other during lunch, and eventually, a friendship sparked between them. They had been friends ever since.

Bonnie began to pick at her lunch, which she had still not taken a single bite of. "He is graduating this year. Maybe…maybe I should try to work up the courage and talk to him."

Meredith, though there was a certain glint in her eyes that told Bonnie that she didn't really approve of the idea, shrugged nonchalantly. "I suppose so, if that is what you want."

Bonnie new that Meredith wasn't a big fan of Damon. Like much of the school, she found him arrogant and selfish. But she didn't often voice these thoughts, which Bonnie appreciated.

She opened her mouth to say something else when a voice sounded from behind her.

"Will you two be busy Saturday night?"

Bonnie spun around in her seat and was shocked to see Elena Gilbert standing by their table, holding what looked like two small pieces of paper in her hands.

Elena Gilbert was one of the more popular girls at school. And…she was dating Damon's brother Stefan, and often hung around Damon in the process. At least, that was how Bonnie knew her.

While answering her question, Bonnie tried not to let her voice stammer. "No, well, at least I'm not." She couldn't really speak for Meredith, even though she was sure that she wasn't doing anything either. That would be rude.

Elena smiled, seeming pleased at the response as she placed the two pieces of paper on the table, which, Bonnie observed, were colored a light blue.

"I'm turning seventeen this Saturday, and there will be a party at my house starting at 9:30. Come if you can."

And with that, she flounced back to her table with Stefan, leaving Bonnie gaping in surprise at her retreating form.

"Why would she invite us to her party? We…hardly ever talk to her," Bonnie said, picking up the blue invitations as if to make sure they were real.

Meredith shrugged. "It seems like she's inviting everyone. I even saw her invite Caroline Forbes during first period, and everyone knows they usually hate each other."

But Meredith's logical answer didn't seem to have an effect on Bonnie, whose heart was hammering rapidly in her chest.

Elena was dating Damon's brother. Could that mean that Damon would be at the party as well?

Meredith sighed when Bonnie turned towards her, as always, already knowing what she was about to ask. "I'm not going."

Bonnie pouted. "Please Meredith? It would be so much better if you were there with me."

Meredith was a calming figure to her. She was always more relaxed when she was around, which would be a great presence to have if Damon was going to be at the party.

Suddenly, a smile that looked almost mischievous flittered across Meredith's lips. "I don't know. Something tells me that you're going to be just fine at that party, even if you do initially arrive there by yourself."

Bonnie blushed lightly, thinking about Damon. "I still don't want to go alone."

"How about I go over to your house before the party and help you get ready? I won't go to the party, but I will do that."

* * *

Meredith kept her promise.

At 8:30 P.M, an hour before the party, she arrived at the McCullough house to help Bonnie prepare for the party, bringing along with her a red satin dress that Bonnie could borrow.

"I only wore it once, a few years ago at my grandfather's retirement party," she had said smoothly as she showed the dress to Bonnie. "I think it will fit you now."

Luckily the dress fit perfectly and after Meredith had assisted Bonnie in helping applying her make-up and straighten her hair, Bonnie was all set to go, despite her raging nerves.

And then Meredith gave her a ride to the party as well, on her way back to her own house.

And that was how Bonnie now found herself standing on the doorstep of Elena Gilbert's house.

She could hear pounding music coming from inside the house and a loud chorus of several people talking at once, so she knew for a fact that the party had definitely begun. Sucking in a deep breath to try to help her with her nervousness, Bonnie then knocked on the door, three times, and then began to wait for a response.

She hadn't had to wait long. In only seconds, the door swung up, and Elena's form appeared.

"You're here!" She said a little bit too enthusiastically and pulled her inside. Bonnie's nervousness grew a little more when she detected a slight slur in Elena's voice, indicating that she had been drinking. That was alcohol at this party?

"I'm so glad you could make it…Bonnie right?"

Bonnie nodded in response to her question, sheepishly handing her the birthday card she had brought for her, which contained a $30.00 gift card to Macy's.

"It isn't much, but I hope you like it."

Elena waved the comment off, her wide smile never ceasing. "Half of the people here didn't even bring a gift at all. Thank you, Bonnie."

She then grabbed onto Bonnie's arm, gently thought firmly hanging onto it as she dragged her through the massive crowd of the party. "Come on. There's someone who wants to see you."

Bonnie frowned at her words, confused about what she could mean by that. She briefly wondered how drunk Elena was and if she was even fully aware of what she was doing and saying.

They were just nearing the sliding glass door that led to the backyard of the boarding house when suddenly; a hand rested itself on Elena's shoulder.

"Why in such a hurry?" An Italian accented voice asked.

Stefan Salvatore now stood in front of him, bending down to give Elena a short kiss on the lips, which caused an uncharacteristic, drunken giggle to sound from the normally headstrong and icy blond.

After they parted Elena spoke. "Do you know if Damon is still outside?"

Bonnie froze at the sound of the name. Was that where Elena was leading her? Why?

Stefan nodded in response. "Yes. He should be anyway."

The two of them exchanged secret smiles that made Bonnie's heart race.

After telling Stefan that she would be right back, Elena continued to tug her in the direction of the sliding glass door, and once approaching it, shoved her out it and into the darkness of the night. "Go. He's waiting for you."

Bonnie hesitated. Again, she wasn't sure if Elena was only acting this way because she has had a bit too much to drink, but she had such a serious tone in her voice that it almost made her want to believe her.

"What?"

But Elena didn't answer her, having just shut the sliding door in finality.

Now completely alone, Bonnie shivered at the chilly air, as her brown eyes began to dart around the spacious backyard she was now standing in.

At first she didn't see anything out there. Nothing but the billowing grass, the night sky, and an old-looking swing set at the far end of the yard, which was making a creaking noise as the slight breeze in the air caused it to swing back and forth.

Bonnie was about to head back inside and write off the fact that Elena had left her out here as her being truly drunk. But then a hand softly grasped her shoulder from out of the darkness. She jumped and yelped in surprise and the person chuckled.

"Did I frighten you?"

She smiled, feeling both happy and nervous. She would recognize that voice anywhere.

"Damon?"

The figure nodded, and Bonnie's smile widened even further.

This was the first time they had been alone together since that faithful day in the hallway last year.

Bonnie sucked in a small amount of breath to calm herself down. "What are you doing out here?"

"Waiting for you."

The way he had said the words was so blunt…as if the answer had been obvious and Bonnie was silly for asking the question.

She blushed in response. "Well…I'm here now."

"Indeed, you are."

Silence ensued between them and Bonnie could sense something…off about him. Instead of radiating the usual confidence her normally had, he almost seemed nervous.

"Damon, are you okay?"

He didn't answer her with words, not at first anyway. Instead he took her by complete surprise by suddenly pressing his lips to hers.

Bonnie gasped in complete shock, but of course, quickly surrendered to the kiss, allowing him to part her lips under his cool, smooth ones. She had wanted this for a while, after all.

At her receptiveness, Damon deepened the kiss, his tongue seeking entrance past her lips, which she granted him, despite her nervousness towards being so new to kissing.

This was her first kiss. And not just with tongue, but her very first kiss in general. But somehow, instinct seemed to take over. It felt natural with Damon…right. As if kissing him was always something she was meant to do.

And maybe it was.

They continued to kiss heatedly, her hands buried in his raven dark hair and his arms wrapped around her small body, supporting her due to the fact that her knees had began to buckle. And then, mainly because of the lack of oxygen, they parted, both of their breaths coming out in brief pants as they remained close together.

"My apologies," Damon whispered, his lips still just inches away from her own. "I've wanted to do that for a while."

Bonnie blushed. It had been one of her dreams since freshman year to kiss Damon Salvatore. Could it really be that he had also wanted to kiss her?

"It's okay. I've wanted it to."

He smirked in response to her reply and her blush deepened. He still had his arms wrapped around her waist when he brought one of his hands up to gently stroke her cheek.

"I wanted to do it at least once, before…" He shook his head and Bonnie saw what looked like pain flash in his obsidian eyes.

She placed a hand on his arm in what she hoped was a comforting gesture. "What's wrong?"

He shook his head again, hi eyes now flashing in determination as he leaned over to whisper in her ear.

"I will inform you eventually. But for now, would you care to join me for a night of fun?"

* * *

They ended up going back into the party, her arm laced through his.

At their entrance, a few people shot Damon knowing looks, and Elena winked at them. Bonnie, despite her overwhelming happiness, blinked in confusion. "Damon, why are they looking at us like that?"

Damon chuckled and walked over to the punch bowl, pouring her a glass of the red liquid, and himself one. "Let's just say that I've had my sights set on you for a while, Bonnie."

She wanted to ask him more about that, but at the sight of the punch, a new question popped into her mind first. "This…this doesn't have any alcohol, does it?" She remembered how intoxicated Elena had seemed when she had first greeted her at the door and her parents would kill her if they found out she had alcohol, especially at a party.

"Of course not," Damon answered, with an amused smirk on his face. "Still always so innocent, I see."

Bonnie's cheeks flushed once again. For a second, she wondered if she should feel offended by his words, but the way he had said them hadn't made her feel like she should. He hadn't sounded condescending…more like amused, as if her "innocence" was something he enjoyed about her.

She then worked up the nerve to ask the question she had wanted to ask, after taking a quick sip of the punch. "What did you mean by 'having your sights set' on me?"

His amused smirk vanished, replaced by a more serious expression instantly. Bonnie was afraid she had said something wrong, and was about to refute when he spoke.

"It means exactly that. I've had my sights set on you for a while."

"For how long?"

Damon had a somewhat forlorn expression as he answered. "Since that day in the hallway last year."

Oh gosh. Bonnie's heart rate picked up even more, if that was possible, but she was smiling. He really had yearned for her as long as she had yearned for him.

He suddenly placed a gentle hand under her chin as he continued. "You had such blaring innocence…and you were so damn adorable. Since then, I silently watched you from afar and I suppose you could say that my infatuation grew even more."

Bonnie giggled. "Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"Truth be told, I had the feeling that you feared me."

She gaped at him. This whole time he didn't approach her because he believed she was afraid of him? That was why they didn't get together sooner? Granted, Damon did make her a bit nervous from time to time, but not for the reason he seemed to believe.

"I wasn't afraid of you," she replied honestly. "Well…maybe a little bit at first, but not after you defended me against Tyler Smallwood. I was just nervous because of how…." She broke herself off for a few moments. Was she really going to finally say this out loud?

_Oh what do I have to lose? _She thought to herself. _He already pretty much admitted that he feels the same way towards me. I have nothing to lose._

"Because of how I felt about you," she finished with a genuine smile. The nervousness had dimmed down some, though there were still echoes of it.

Damon raised his eyebrows before a smile crossed his own lips, and Bonnie once again realized with bated breath that he had dimples.

"Well, then I suppose we are in agreement."

And with that, he leaned down to kiss her again, though this time, his smooth lips only rested on hers for a few brief moments, making this kiss more sweet than passionate. Bonnie made a quiet moaning sound of mild disappointment that made Damon laugh.

The rest of the party passed by in a blur. Though Bonnie wanted to ask Damon about why he had looked so sad after their first kiss in Elena's backyard, she got too lost in the thrill of the night to really put her question together.

_I'll ask him later, _she reasoned.

It had turned out to be one of the best nights of her life. Damon had kept his arm laced through hers, as if to show to everyone else at the party that she was _his. _And although they had only just confessed their desire for each other that night, and hadn't exactly put a label on their relationship yet, Bonnie already giddily felt like his girlfriend.

* * *

After the party ended, Damon offered to drive her home and she had smiled widely as she sat down in the passenger seat of his sleek Ferrari.

"Thank you for the ride."

"It isn't a problem," Damon assured her.

He then placed his famous dark ray bands over his eyes and started the car. They drove down the road silently and Bonnie felt like the tension was so thick that one could cut it with a knife.

She wanted to say something…anything to fill the void.

"Do you know why Elena invited me to the party?" She suddenly asked.

Damon raised an eyebrow as he glanced briefly away from the road to look at her. "Why wouldn't she invite you?"

Bonnie shrugged. "I've never talked to her before. I didn't think she even knew I existed."

It was true. The other day, she had been too excited to consider how strange it actually was for Elena Gilbert to have invited her to her birthday party, but it had indeed been random.

Damon smirked. "I may have asked her to grant me a favor."

Bonnie's eyes widened. "You…you asked Elena to invite me?"

He nodded and she blushed, becoming even surer that this was all going to turn out to be some kind of wonderful dream.

But it wasn't. This was reality. She was currently sitting in Damon Salvatore's Ferrari as he drove her home and he seemed to want her just as much as she wanted him.

When they finally reached the McCullough house, Damon graciously offered to walk her up to her door, which Bonnie accepted while smiling. After they reached the door, she turned to face him and he gave her a small smile.

"I actually wanted to ask you a question of my own before I leave you tonight."

"What question?"

Damon leaned closer to her. "Are you aware of when the senior prom takes place?"

Bonnie nodded. "June 12th. But I can't go, since I'm not a senior…."

She didn't want to tell Damon that she didn't go to dances at all. Her sophomore year was now coming to an end, and she still hadn't attended a single one.

"Will you do me the honor of being my date to the prom, Bonnie McCullough?"

The question caught her off guard and made her completely freeze in her tracks. Damon Salvatore had just asked her to prom. She didn't think he was the type to go to dances, but he had. The night had gotten even better.

"Yes!" She exclaimed happily and then giggled and blushed in embarrassment at her own eagerness.

But Damon merely smiled and grabbed her hand, lifting it up to his lips to kiss the back of it. "Thank you."

And then, before Bonnie could even think about responding, he pressed his lips to hers again and just as before, Bonnie felt as though her legs were turning into mush. Luckily, Damon was ready to catch her before she fell, his arms wrapping around her waist tenderly.

Reassured that she wasn't going to fall over now, Bonnie allowed herself to get lost in the kiss, her arms wrapping around his neck in order to pull herself closer. She moaned a bit in protest as he eventually parted their lips, feeling that it had ended too soon.

Damon chuckled at her pouty expression and kissed the top of her head. "Goodnight, little bird."

Bonnie frowned in confusion at the strange nickname but before she could ask him about it, he was back in his car, driving away.

* * *

The following Monday during lunch, Bonnie sat and ate with Damon for the first time and along with him, Elena, Stefan, and the golden eyed guy that Bonnie had often seen sitting at this table, but never got the name of. Fortunately, Damon answered that question for her quickly.

"Bonnie, this is Sage," he had said to her as he held her hand and led her to the lunch table. "Sage, this is Bonnie. My girlfriend."

Bonnie flushed a bright crimson at the word "girlfriend". She didn't exactly know what Damon considered her before, but she had her hopes. But now he had confirmed that he saw her as his girlfriend.

The golden-eyed guy, Sage, smiled politely at her and she held out a hand for her to shake. "_Bonjour, _Bonnie," he greeted in a lightly French accented voice.

She was a bit uncomfortable as she sat down, mainly because she didn't know any of them too well yet, but the discomfort didn't last long and soon, she was talking casually among them, seemingly comfortable.

"So Bonnie, what's the story of when you began to like Damon?" Sage suddenly asked with a mischievous smirk.

Bonnie's voice began to stammer nervously as she attempted to answer. "I…uh…well, it all started last year…."

"You don't have to answer the question if you don't want to Bonnie," Stefan said gently to her, before throwing a glare in Sage's direction. "Leave her alone, Sage."

Sage merely shrugged, though the smile of mischievousness remained on his face. "It was only a question."

Bonnie shot a secret, grateful smile in Stefan's direction and then beamed when she felt Damon take her hand into his from underneath the table. Luckily, the conversation drifted away from Bonnie and Damon's relationship, and onto more simple subjects, such as the dance, and small, upcoming events amongst the group of friends. Bonnie's attention was distracted, however, when she caught the sight of Meredith walking into the cafeteria.

She then immediately felt a sense of guilt. She hadn't originally planned to sit with Damon and his friends, but as soon as she stepped into the seating area with her tray of food, Damon had quickly approached her and charmingly asked her to sit with him. She had been so overwhelmed by it that she had almost forgotten about her best friend. Shame washed through her.

"Something wrong, little bird?" Damon asked, noticing her distraught expression.

Bonnie shook her head. "No Damon, I just…would it be okay if Meredith sat with us?"

She knew that Meredith wouldn't be too happy about the idea of sitting here since she didn't really like Damon or Elena much, but she had to at least try. She felt so guilty about almost abandoning the one person that had been her friend from the very start.

To her relief, Damon smiled, and gave a casual shrug. "Of course."

She smiled faintly at him before standing up, quickly walking over in the direction of where Meredith was standing.

"Hey Meredith," she said a bit timidly. "I…remember what I told you last night?"

Meredith, to her relief, didn't look angry or even hurt; she even had her usual mischievous, playful glint in her eyes. "About you and Damon? Yes. But is there something else I should know about?"

Bonnie blushed at her suggestive tone. "Um…no, but I was wondering if you wanted to sit there with us?"

Meredith sighed. "I don't know Bonnie…."

"Please Meredith?" Bonnie pleaded, taking one of her hands. "I still want to eat with you, but I….Damon also wants me to sit with him. They're actually all pretty nice. I think you would like Stefan, at least." Though Stefan, with his kindness and warmness was a difficult person to not like.

After a few moments of hesitation, Meredith slowly and silently nodded, and Bonnie beamed happily, still holding her hand as she began to lead her best friend in the direction of the lunch table.

She had everyone there that she could possibly want now.

* * *

When the night of senior prom finally arrived, Meredith had gone over to Bonnie's house to help her prepare, just as she had helped her get ready for Elena's party.

This time, however, Bonnie had gotten her own dress, since it was prom and not just a birthday party. It was red, just as the last dress was, but more frilly and dark colored, made from very soft satin.

Meredith nodded in approval. "The dress looks good. Now it's just time to apply your make-up," she said matter-of-factly, gesturing to the bag she had brought from her house that was filled with make-up products.

Bonnie frowned in slight confusion. Last time when Meredith was helping her get ready, the dark-haired girl had insisted that they straighten her hair first, since it would be easier to avoid letting any hair getting into the make-up process by doing it first.

"Aren't you going to straighten my hair first?"

Meredith smiled. "Somehow, I have a feeling that Damon likes your curls. Now, come here."

Without any more questions, Bonnie obediently did as she asked and sat down on the chair that Meredith gestured to, allowing her to being to apply the make-up.

By the time Damon had arrived to pick her up, Bonnie actually found that she was completely satisfied with how she looked.

After she had hugged Meredith enthusiastically for helping her get ready once again, she then excitedly marched down the stairs at the sound of Damon knocking on the door, her emotions a mixture of extreme excitement and a little nervousness.

When she answered the door, Damon was standing outside it, as expected. He was wearing a classic suit and looked even more gorgeous than he normally did. He offered her his hand, and when she took it, he began to guide her over to his Ferrari.

"I assume that I don't have to tell you how beautiful you look tonight, do I? Are you already fully aware of that fact?" He asked with a wink, as he held the car door open for her.

Bonnie giggled. "And you look very handsome." She then climbed inside the Ferrari, and soon, they were off, driving in the direction of the prom.

The prom turned out to be everything Bonnie could have possibly imagined as her first ever prom, and more.

Once she and Damon had arrived, he had lace his arm through hers as they walked side by side into the school building, and then eventually, into the school gymnasium, where they were immediately greeted by the sound of music, and the loud chattering of their fellow classmates.

Bonnie felt a bit intimidated; being that she was the only freshman there, but with the way Damon kept his arm laced through hers, and the look of devotion that pooled in his dark eyes whenever he looked at her slowly began to chase the small feeling of discomfort further and further away.

As they walked through the prom, Bonnie quickly spotted Stefan and Elena, who were in a part of the gymnasium that was a good distance away from everyone else, dancing together as if there wasn't anyone else in the room besides the two of them. The sight made her smile. No one could deny their love for each other.

"Would you like to dance?" Damon suddenly asked from beside her.

Bonnie quickly turned to refocus on the man besides her, her heart pounding. It had always been one of her dreams to dance with him, even if she wasn't at all sure if she would be a good dancer or not.

"Okay," she answered with a bright smile, and Damon shot her his 500 kilowatt smile at her as he gently took her hand and led her onto the dance floor, where a slow song was starting up.

The song turned out to be Kelly Clarkson's cover of "A Moment like This."

"_What if I told you  
It was all meant to be  
Would you believe me,  
Would you agree  
It's almost that feelin'  
That we've met before  
So tell me that you don't think I'm crazy  
When I tell you love has come and now..."_

Luckily for her, Damon led most of the dance, so she hadn't had to rely on her lack of experience too much. He simply wrapped his arms lightly around her delicate waist, leading the dance every step of the way as he twirled her around the dance floor.

"_A moment like this  
Some people wait a lifetime,  
For a moment like this  
Some people search forever,  
For that one special kiss  
Oh, I can't believe it's happening to me  
Some people wait a lifetime,  
For a moment like this"_

As they continued the dance, Damon suddenly began to pull them a bit closer together, so that she was pressing against his chest slightly, not that Bonnie was complaining. But his eyes never left hers.

"_Everything changes  
But beauty remains  
Something so tender  
I can't explain  
Well I maybe dreamin'  
But 'till I awake  
Can we make this dream last forever  
And I'll cherish all the love we share"_

"I have a confession to make," Damon said as they continued to dance. "The reason I…confessed to you a few days ago was because I couldn't bear the thought of leaving and never getting the chance to tell you how I felt before I left."

Bonnie frowned in confusion. He was leaving? To where?

"But Damon, where are you…." But she didn't get to finish her sentence, because he had stopped her mid-sentence by suddenly pressing his lips to hers.

"_For a moment like this  
Some people wait a lifetime,  
For a moment like this  
Some people search forever,  
For that one special kiss  
Oh, I can't believe it's happening to me  
Some people wait a lifetime,  
For a moment like this"_

The kiss remained gentle, and slightly shorter than their kisses normally had ever since the beginning of their very short relationship. When Damon broke it, he smirked lightly. "Technically, I'm not supposed to do that too often on the dance floor, but I figured breaking the rules once wouldn't hurt. I've gotten into trouble for much worse, after all."

Bonnie was a bit dizzy and lightheaded by the sudden kiss for a few moments, but once she regained her composure, she began to question him, never breaking the dance.

"Damon, what did you mean by 'before you leave'?"

"_Could this be the greatest love of all  
I wanna know that you will catch me when I fall  
So let me tell you this...  
Some people wait a lifetime"_

Damon had an almost emotional glint in his eyes now, and Bonnie could swear that it looked as though he was almost holding back…tears.

"What is it?" She pleaded, hating the look in his eyes. She then grabbed one of his hands with hers in what she hoped was a comforting gesture.

"_For a moment like this  
Some people wait a lifetime,  
For a moment like this  
Some people search forever,  
For that one special kiss  
Oh, I can't believe it's happening to me  
Some people wait a lifetime,  
For a moment like this"_

"My little redbird…" He murmured as he pulled her closer into his arms, burying his face in her hair.

And Bonnie let him. She knew he needed this moment to calm down.

When he finally looked back into her eyes, he gave her somewhat of an answer.

"You deserve an answer to your question. I am aware of that. But would you do me the favor of waiting until the end of prom for me to tell you? I don't want it to spoil our night."

She really wanted to know what was bothering him so much, but she ended up nodding reluctantly in agreement. She couldn't deny him of this request. "Okay Damon."

He smiled in gratitude before kissing her forehead.

"_Oh, like this oh, I can't believe it's happening to me._

_Some people wait a lifetime,_  
_For a moment like this._

_Oh, like this."_

The song slowly came to an end, and so did their dance. Damon continued to just hold her in his arms for a few more moments, as if he was savoring every moment that he was able to hold her.

But eventually, the DJ of the dance announced that a new song would be coming up, and that this time, everyone would have to switch partners, and dance with someone they hadn't escorted to the prom.

Stefan and Elena quickly found them, and it was agreed that for one dance, Bonnie would dance with Stefan and Damon would dance with Elena. Even then, Damon seemed kind of hesitant to let go of Bonnie, but seemed to be swayed by a gentle smile from both her and Stefan.

Bonnie then allowed Stefan to gently guide her onto the floor, and they began to twirl around to the pace of a fast song.

"I'm really glad that you're with my brother now, Bonnie," Stefan said as he twirled her around the dance floor. "He's had feelings for you for a while now, even if he didn't want to admit it back then."

Bonnie blushed. "Thank you Stefan. I…I've had feelings for him for a while now too."

Stefan shook his head. "You may not understand Bonnie, but…" He then made a strong gulping noise, as if he was trying to hold back tears. "My brother's feelings for you are even stronger than you may think. And I hope he takes every opportunity to make sure you know that before he leaves."

Leave. There was that word again….

"Where is he going?" She asked timidly.

Stefan shook his head and looked a bit regretful, as if suddenly realizing that he shouldn't have said anything in the first place. "It's Damon's place to tell you, not mine."

Bonnie sighed, but smiled a little in understanding before allowing Stefan to twirl her again.

* * *

After the dance had finally ended, Bonnie and Damon stood outside the school parking lot for a few moments, and Bonnie sensed that he was slowly preparing himself to tell her what he was so sad about finally.

For a few moments, they simply watched as other students got in their cars and headed home. Bonnie shivered a little from the cold, and in seconds, Damon had offered her his leather jacket. "Cold?"

She nodded gratefully and accepted the jacket, putting it on, even though it was a little big on her. She briefly took the time to inhale the scent of it. It smelled just like him.

Okay. It was now or never…

"Are you finally going to tell me what you've been so upset about now?" She asked gently.

Damon sighed, and actually looked kind of hesitant. But eventually he nodded. "Yes, I am." He then took both of her hands into his. "Redbird…I….i'm going to be going away for some time after I graduate."

"Going away where?"

"To the army. Both me and Stefan are going as soon as we've graduated."

Time seemed to freeze. Bonnie couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. No. Not Damon. Not the army. Tears began to leak slowly from her eyes, and all at once, Damon wrapped her tightly into his arms. "Shhh. Don't cry redbird."

She sniffled. "I can't help it Damon. You…people _die _in the army. What if you…."

"I'm not going to die." He placed a gentle hand under her chin and lifted it up, forcing her to look into his eyes. "You listen to me Bonnie McCullough. I _will _return to you. It's just going to take some time. But I know you're worth the wait. And, if the way you feel about me is the same as I feel about you, then I'd like to think that…."

"Yes." Bonnie smiled reassuringly at him, despite the fact that tears were still flowing from her eyes. "Yes, Damon. You are worth it. And…I'll wait for you. I'll wait for you to come home."

Damon's smile was a mixture of relief and happiness.

"That's all I wanted to hear."

* * *

The months went by quickly. Damon and Bonnie enjoyed every second they got together now that they were a true couple, which was something that they'd both been longing for a year now.

But the time wasn't long enough, and soon, the dreaded day when Damon and Stefan had to leave for boot camp and then eventual entrance into the army came.

Both Bonnie and Elena went with the Salvatore brothers as they headed to the airport, wanting to say one last goodbye to their respective boyfriends.

Elena had thrown herself into Stefan's arms, and just as they had while dancing at the prom, the two of them now seemed lost in their own world. Bonnie's heart nearly broke at the sight of them, knowing that they were going to be separated for a good amount of time.

Bonnie then threw herself at her own boyfriend, kissing Damon heatedly. After the kiss broke, like Stefan and Elena, they simply held each other for a few moments.

"Here," Damon said slowly, taking off his leather jacket and handing it to her. "I want you to keep this while I'm gone, as proof that I _will _come back. When I return, you will give it back to me."

Bonnie nodded, trying to keep her tears at bay as she unhooked her grandmother's necklace from around her neck, and pressing it into Damon's hands. "And I want you to keep this, so you can give it back to me when you come back."

Damon then kissed her gently one last time, murmuring against her lips. "I'm going to come back."

Bonnie nodded slowly in agreement. "Yes, you will."

At least she desperately hoped.

And then, as she and Elena watched their plane take off fifteen minutes later, both girls finally allowed the tears to fall freely.

* * *

**A/N: Will Damon and Stefan get home saftly from the war? What will be the consequences? And how will Bonnie, Elena, and the others deal with their absence?**

**Part 2 will be up soon, and it will be the final part of the story. I hope you guys enjoyed the first half. Especially you Sara. **


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